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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Friday, January 16, 1998 TCU suspends NCAA's fourth-leading scorer suspended for one game FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Texas Christian University center Lee Nailon, the NCAA's fourth-leading scorer, has been suspended for one game after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a fight with his girlfriend. TCU coach Billy Tubbs said Wednesday the suspension will be served Saturday when the Horned Frogs play a Western Athletic Conference at San Diego State. Nailon, a 6-9 junior from South Bend, Ind., set the school's single-game scoring record last month with a 53-point night against Mississippi Valley State. He is averaging 25.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Athletic director Frank Windegger, TCU Chancellor William Tucker and Provost William Koehler met with Tubbs for about an hour after a court hearing Wednesday. They agreed on Tubbs' recommendation for a one-game suspension. Marti Bell, 18, of Wichita, Kan., told police she moved into Nailon's dormitory rooms over the Christmas holidays and they quarreled on Jan. 6. She said Nailon attempted to strangle her, hit her in the face and threw her into a wall. Nailon, 21, called a TCU coach during the incident and assistants Brian Fish and Steve McClain came to the dorm room, she said. The coaches talked to her and Nailon and urged her not to contact police, she said. "They didn't care about Lee or me," Ms. Bell told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "They just cared about having a good player on the team." Ms. Bell waited four days, until Saturday, to contact police and file a complaint. She said she is satisfied with Nailon's punishment and hopes to "work it out" with him. "I still love Lee and I forgive him for everything he's done," Bell said. "He just has a problem controlling his anger and he needs help with that." Nailon told Judge Mamie Bush Johnson he was pleading no contest to the assault bodily injury charge. She sentenced him to one year of adjudicated probation, ordered him to attend anger-control counseling and ordered him to pay $165 in court costs. He faced a maximum of a $4,000 fine and one year in jail on the Class A misdemeanor charge. "Just make sure you don't have any more police problems," Ms. Johnson told Nailon as she announced his sentence. Prosecutor Steve Gordon said Nailon's plea agreement is standard for a first-time offender. "Lee could have strung this thing along by pleading not guilty," Tubbs said. "But this is what you call taking one for the team. "The thing is, now we have to put this behind us and move on. Knowing what I know about the situation, I thought it warranted a one-game suspension or else I wouldn't have done it," Tubbs said. Nailon declined to comment after practice Wednesday. School officials said TCU campus policy prohibits students from having overnight guests of the opposite sex and that a hearing will be held on that violation. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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